Gutenbergia rueppellii is an African species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
Annual or perennial herb, 3–75 cm tall, sometimes rather woody and often densely tufted; stems erect or rarely decumbent or spreading. Leaves alternate or the proximal opposite, linear to narrowly ovate, (narrowly) elliptic or oblanceolate,0.4–10 cm long, 0.1-1.4 cm wide, base cuneate to +/- expanded-auriculate, marginssub-entire, apex obtuse to acute, apiculate, green and sparsely pubescent to silvery-grey above, white tomentose beneath. Capitula rather few to very numerous in smallto lax and diffuse terminal and upper axillary corymbiform cymes; stalks ofindividual capitula shortly white-hairy, involucre obconic-turbinate to campanulate-hemispherical 2–6 mm in diameter at flowering time; phyllaries 3-4 seriate, ovate toovate-oblong, the inner 3.5–7 mm long, acute, pungent, straight or recurving at theapex, darker green and often purple-tinged at the centre towards the apex, denselypubescent to glabrescent, scarious and shortly pectinate-fimbriate at the margins.Corolla 3.3–7 mm long, purple or violet, rarely white, lobes white hairy withappressed hairs, 1.3–3 mm long. Achenes obconic-cylindrical or ellipsoid-cylindrical,slightly constricted towards the apex, often slightly curved, 1.2-2.2 mm long (7 or 10)ribbed, with slightly more prominent ribs alternating with slightly less prominentribs, sparsely ascending hairy or glabrous, pappus absent.[1]
It is named after the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell, who had travelled in Abyssinia in 1830.[2]
It was found in Abyssinia, and then first published and described by Carl Heinrich 'Bipontinus' Schultz in 'Gedenkb'. IV (edited by Jubelf. Buchdr.) on page 120 and table4 in 1840.[3] [4]
The species is native to an area of central East Africa.[5] Countries and regions that is occurs in are: Zaïre; Tanzania; Burundi; Kenya; Uganda; Somalia; South Sudan; Ethiopia; Sudan?; and Eritrea.
It is listed as a threatened plant of the forests of Cherangani hills, Kenya.[6]
It grows on wooded savannas and on the edges of cornfields, at 850- m above sea level.[7]
It also grows on Dry bushland, open woodland or thickets and in grassland, on shallow soils over rock or on black cotton soils (Vertisol).[8]
In Ethiopia, it is commonly known as Bututtu iluu and the leaves of the plant are used as fodder for cattle, sheep and goats.[9]
It has one known variety; Gutenbergia rueppellii var. fischeri (R.E.Fr.) C.Jeffrey.with its own synonym Gutenbergia fischeri R.E.Fr.<[5] [10] The variety is named after the German explorer Gustav Fischer.It is native to Kenya and Tanzania, and was published by Charles Jeffrey (1934-) based on an earlier description by Robert Elias Fries in Kew Bull. Vol.43 on page 254 in 1988.[11] It differs from the main form, in habit, leaf-shape, size of capitula (flower head) and achene (fruit).[8]